House of Commons to elect new Speaker as Rota’s resignation takes effect

The resignation of House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota is set to take effect this evening.

Rota resigned on Tuesday amid international controversy after he invited a man who fought for the Nazis to attend a speech by the Ukrainian president last Friday.

He said he profoundly regrets calling attention to 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a veteran of a Ukrainian voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis in the Second World War.

Parliamentarians and dignitaries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gave two standing ovations to the man without knowing about his background.

Rota stepped down after pressure from all sides of the House, including from the governing Liberals, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying the incident was deeply embarrassing for Canada.

House of Commons procedure dictates that as soon as Rota steps down, MPs must go through the process of electing a new Speaker before they can continue with their normal business.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2023.